ELIGIBILITY:

The Doug Pensinger Photography Fund supports emerging and early-career sports photographers. Photographers with more than 3 years of cumulative paid professional sports photography experience are considered beyond the scope of the DPPF’s programs.

Previous DPPF grant recipients are not eligible to apply.

DPPF programs accept international applicants, but the DPPF is unable to award grants to photographers from countries for which the U.S. has active sanctions in place.

The competition is free to enter

Resume: Must include dates and be in English. Please note that in addition to demonstrating that you are a serious aspiring sports photographer, the resume is also the tool that the DPPF uses to determine that your level of experience does not exceed the limits of eligibility.

Professional Bio: 1500-character maximum

Portfolio: 20 sports photography images (action and portrait both accepted), minimum size 1500px long side. All 20 required images must be taken on or after 1/1/2022. 15 of the required 20 images must be taken on or after 1/1/2024

Optional Mentorship Essay: Up to three Primary Grant winners will be chosen to receive a year-long mentorship during which they will receive access to leading industry professionals on the DPPF Advisory Board.
Applying for a mentorship is not required to compete for a DPPF grant. More information on the DPPF mentorships is here. The 2026-2027 mentors are DPPF Advisory Board members Jean Fruth, Bob Martin, and Jamie Schwaberow.

BENEFIT:

7 photographers will be chosen to receive $5,000 grants to be spent on career development. They will also receive an expenses-paid trip to the 2026 DPPF Sports Photography Gathering.

Additional Opportunities:

Up to 3 of those seven grant recipients will be chosen to receive a year-long mentorship with leading industry professionals on the DPPF Advisory Board.

Up to 3 additional applications may be chosen for Development Grants of $2,500 and an expenses-paid trip to the 2026 DPPF Sports Photography Gathering.